Last night-techno

I was talking to Byers last night. On the phone. Not via text, email or skype. Actual comunication with a live human being, using a technology that is as old as Byers and myself combined. I know virtually nothing about new phones. I had to ask Byers what 4G meant. I said I must be old and out of touch. Byers agreed.

Here is what I do know. I was in a local establishment a couple weeks ago, the kind that serves beverages to the over 21 crowd and occasionally puts live music up on it's tiny stage.
The local Guitar Wizard was up there with his two buddies and they were playing their hearts out...giving it everything they
 got. And it was great

This place has a large bar, rectangular, that has about 20 stools around it. At least. All stools were occupied. Then I realized, there were exactly 4 of us occupying stools, that were actually watching the band. The rest were transfixed by a small black object that they held in their hand while they waved a finger over the top of it.
Hmmm, I thought.

I ordered up a second consultation with Dr. Smirnoff, and then it dawned on me. These things are the new cigarettes.

I live in the People's Republic of Illinois, so you are not allowed to have a smoke in your own bar, that you have probably worked in 80 hours a week to keep it running...but I am digressing now. But these small black things are the new bad habit.

Back in the day when this was still a free country, a person would walk into the bar, lay the pack of smokes down in front of them, and order a drink. They would take a drink, light a smoke, and begin to converse with the friend they walked in with, or watch the band ,or both.

Now, they walk in. The set the small black device in front of them, order a drink. Then they proceed to pick up the device and start waving their finger over the top. What, there's a band in here? My girlfriend is sitting next to me? Huh, didn't realize that. I had to check the air tempurature on my device. The same air I just came inside from. Wow, it's 42 degrees outside. Yep it felt less than 50.
Oh and there is a gas station 2 blocks up the street. Of course, I new that already, because I live here, but now I can see it on my phone.

Now I am definitely not a member of the Ted Kazcynski fan club, but I gotta ask...this is progress? Have we become so immersed in ourselves that social interaction is conducted through a small black device that we hold in our hand? I asked Byers this.  Byers said yes.

I felt bad for OD, Hill and Ganzer(the 3 guys on the stage). They were so great...but did anyone know?
.